You are here

Front Runners May 2015: Wicked Curves

Although it is not the company’s fastest or largest tourbillon, the new Franck Muller Vanguard Gravity (franckmuller.com) may be the most difficult to manufacture. The $115,000 watch packs a host of modern details and finishes into its case, the most visually compelling of which are the elliptical tourbillon cage and bridging. They are made of aluminum and dominate the lower half of the timepiece. Milling the complex, three-dimensional components proved extremely challenging, but the aluminum construction helps reduce the watch’s weight and opens up a range of coloring possibilities through oxidation.